


Demons

by mothmanaintshit



Series: Atashi Adaar x Cullen [6]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 05:51:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4613625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothmanaintshit/pseuds/mothmanaintshit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Taken right after Here Lies the Abyss.] Atashi dreams while she is recovering from the battle at Adamant. Sorting through the recent battle, she starts to deal with the demon that has plagued her mind since her magic manifested. // Crappy summary, yet again DX</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demons

**Author's Note:**

> So, I just finished Here Lies the Abyss Main Quest and remembered Solas saying, while fighting the little fear entities, that everyone sees them differently - a different fear of theirs and such - and it got me thinking about Atashi’s fear, what she would see, and I made myself cry when I thought about it and said “Gotta write a fanfic about this.” And then I started working on this c: There will be either 2 or 3 parts/chapters so...yeah, enjoy!

Atashi sat in the Fade, sorting through what had just happened at Adamant. The memories of the day played in a loop in front of her. Kissing Cullen for good luck that morning, helping set up the trebuchets and speaking to Varric and Hawke about the coming battle, Stroud talking to Cullen’s soldiers about the fortress, and then the attack and the Fade. Atashi waved her anchored hand, allowing her memory to stop when they fought the first batch of minions of the Fear Demon. Atashi watched herself, how she froze when she saw the only thing she truly feared charging toward her. She saw herself freeze, her hand not even going for her staff until she heard Hawke yell behind her. Atashi raised her hand, freezing the memory and watching her fears. Atashi's hairs stood on their ends as someone entered her dreams, she knew who it was - only one other mage had access to herself in the state, and she quickly have her anchors palm again, the memories fading back into the Fade and her being left with only the dull green fog that surrounded herself and her friend.

"He is worried about you." Solas took a seat next to Atashi, his legs pulled under himself, "As are the others."

"And you?" Atashi mumbled, as Solas' shoulder touched her own.

"I need not worry about my friend. I know what she can handle and what she can't." Solas commented, staring out at the green fog.

"Only here to keep the others from worrying." Atashi sighed, shaking her head, "Understandable. Cole probably hasn't calmed down from the recent trip."

"He is calmer, happy that he didn't fall back into the Fade but...displeased with you choice to ally with the Wardens." Solas spoke softly, calmly, but with an edge.

Atashi pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her hands around her legs, "I made the wrong choice, I know...but if that dragon is an Archdemon...I didn't want to chance it."

"Though I am not please with your decision, I understand. The Dragon is an unknown, and the fact that Corypheus could commands demons, it is a possibility that that dragon may be an Archdemon." Solas lightly nudged his shoulder against Atashi's, offering her a small smile. A smile pulled at her own lips, not needing to look at Solas to know he himself was smiling.

"Now," Solas stood up, the smile on his face turning into a thin line, "I see you are making great stride in manipulation your dreams."

Atashi winced as Solas snapped his fingers, her mark activating and restoring the memories she hid, "Not enough, evidently."

A woflish smile formed on the elves lips, walking through her memories of their recent quest and stopping when he got where he wanted. Atashi looked at Solas, standing with his back toward her in a frozen memory. The fear demons minions stood around him, though perceived through her own eyes and showing what she was trying desperately to forget. Her fears weren't like the others. Spiders, snakes, maggots, nugs, creatures, animals, religion, those didn't come close to her fear.

"Your people!" Solas exclaimed, an emotion in his voice that she hadn't heard before. Shock? Astonishment? Fear? She shook her head and mumbled, glaring at her fear, "My father."

Solas turned his head enough to catch her eye, an unspoken understanding passed between them as he moved over to the other Fear Minion, only a few feet away.

"And the others? Different varieties?" Solas tilted his head, commenting on how each minion looked different than the last.

"My father had many faces." Atashi explained, pushing herself up and walking to stand next to the elf, "He was afraid of me...when my magic manifested."

"And you of him." Solas pointed out, not needing an answer. He offered, " _Arvaarad_?"

"You know your Qun." Atashi nodded to Solas.

"Trained to be weary, bind, control, force people to do what they did not have a choice in. You were an unknown, he hid behind many faces. Some fear, faked love, wonder, worry...untrusting..." Solas looked up at his friend, "Did he...?"

Atashi turned her eyes back to her father, a small nod, "My mom wouldn't allow it. I was hers, her daughter, her light, sun, I was...I was everything to her."

Solas turned back to the fear, his face sad, "You have been through a lot, Atashi."

"It's only the beginning." Atashi mumbled, bringing her hand up to rest on the frozen face of her father. Solas placed a hand on her upper arm, a small squeeze to assure her. Atashi waved her hand through her father, the memory fading back in the the green abyss and leaving her alone with Solas.

"How bad were your fears?" Atashi spoke softly after a period of silence.

"People." He spoke, "Past and Present. People I failed, People I hunted and killed, People I...People I should let rest."

Atashi nodded slowly, "I understand."

"You should wake up, soon." Solas said, staring down at the ground, "Your wounds need to be redressed, and the Commander wishes to yell at you."

"Of course he does." Atashi mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck, "How long have I been asleep?"

"Nineteen hours...maybe twenty when I wake up." Solas looked back up at Atashi, "I know it's hard to get away in your position, your dreams offer you the comfort you can not receive in the real world."

"And yet, I am not away." Atashi placed a hand on her hip and smirked down at Solas, "A wolf is always on my tail."

"And a dragon always on mine." He returned the smirk with a woflish, smug smirk of his own.

"Tell Cullen I'll wake up soon...just a few more minutes." Atashi mumbled as the settings changed to a coast, her eyes moving over to a two figures standing in the water, one spear in their hands as they hunted for dinner. Solas turned around and watched the figures, noticing on to be a human male and the other to be Atashi herself. Younger, softer, smaller, brighter.

"Take all the time you need." Solas spoke with kindness, his body completely turning towards the figures, "I will let the Commander know that you are fine, and you will wake up when you please...I shall redress your wounds while you sleep."

Atashi placed and hand on Solas' shoulder, squeezing lightly, her voice wavered, "Thank you, my friend."

"Of course...my friend." His form faded, her hand falling through as he disappeared.

"Like this, papa?" Her younger self yelled as she stabbed through a larger fish.

"Just like that, Peanut!" Atashi felt a tear fall down her cheek as she watched her and her real father, "Just like that."


End file.
